Improvement in wood pavements



H. G. MCGONEGAL.

Improvement in Wood-Pavements.

Patented Nov. 12, 1872.

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UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIGE.

HENRY G. MGGONEGAL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN WOOD PAVEMENTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 133,0 1.? dated November 12, 1872.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY G. MCGONEGAL, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain Improvements in Wood Pavements, of which the following is a specification:

Nature and Object.

This invention belongs to that class of pavements in which the roadway is formed chiefly of wooden blocks with the grain of the wood set in a vertical direction, and having compartments formed between the sides of the blocks for the reception and retention of silicious particles, such as sand, gravel, 850.; and the invention consists in providing the blocks with rectangular and vertical recesses at the two corners of the blocks on the same side of such a size that when the blocks are placed in position, or with their edges abutting together, wide recesses will be formed, into which keys or stakes are inserted, which may be driven down into the ground to hold the blocks in position and to form compartments of the space-way between the rows of blocks so that sand or gravel, or some similar substance, may be introduced for greater resista-nce to the travel.

Drawing.

Figure 1 represents a portion of such a pavement 1n perspective. Fig. 2 is a sectional view across the street or roadway.

The several blocks of which the roadway.

is formed are shown in position at A A, and the vertical rectangular recesses in the corners of the blocks are seen at B B. The keys or stakes to form the space-ways and compartments between the blocks are shown at (J C, and the. method of makingvthe combination will be easily understood to be as follows:

The roadway is graded in the usual mannor for such pavements, but instead of laying planks for a flooring, as is commonly done, only a thin layer of sand or fine gravel is interposed between the blocks and the earth forming the bed of the roadway, and upon this sand or gravel the blocks are placed on end edge to edge in rows extending from curb to curb. Then the keys O-say an inch in thickness, and of the proper width to fill the recesses at B-are inserted with their pointed ends downward, and another row of blocks is then placed in position, and then another row or set of keys or stakes, and so on until several rows have been laid, or enough to form a mass not easily displaced by driving the keys down, which is then done on the first rows as each successive row is laid, and in this manner the whole is pinned or picketed in a certain degree to the earth. If the blocks are six inches in height and the keys nine or twelve, then from three to six inches of the keys or stakes will penerate the sand and earth below the blocks provided they are driven to an even surface with the tops of the blocks, as are here shown. But said keys may be driven below the upper surface of the blocks-or say to one half the depth of the blocks, so that a key or stake nine inches in length will then sink below the blocks six inches. 7

A cheaper method of construction can be produced by dispensing with the recesses in the corners of the blocks and placing the stakes between the blocks, but at the joints so as to support them at their edges, and

thereby form compartments in the several space-ways; but in such a construction there is nothing to support the stakes edgewise, and I do not regard it as so good a method as when they are guided down the vertical recesses described. The space-ways may also be divided by inserting narrow blocks or strips at the joints between the sides of the several blocks A A without having them project down into the sand or pointed as stakes but I do not regard either of these as complete a method of forming a pavement as the one above described.

I therefore claim- A wooden pavement formed of blocks pro- 4 space-ways, substantially as described, and for 4 the purposes set forth.

HENRY G. MGGONEGAL.

Witnesses: E. N. ELIOT, CHAS. H. LEONARD. 

